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A game for history buffs

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: December 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Have you ever wondered about the Voynich Manuscript? How about the Knights Templar? Did you know why Solomon's Temple is so important to Christians and Knights Templar both? Did you ever wonder why the ancient Egyptians might have built their pyramids? Or what made Excalibur so powerful?

If you were ever curious about any of the above--or just wanted a good wine recommendation and the chance to solve some intriguing puzzles without once touching a gun this game is for you.

I am not a gamer and, to be honest, this is the very first game I finished. I quite literally could not leave it alone--the story and the puzzles alike kept me glued to my keyboard and monitor. For in this game you as Niko and George travel to the Congo, Europe, England, Middle East, and back to England, encountering mythological characters from around the globe. In what other game out this season can you find a dragon and Anubis side-by-side?

And, of course, the good guys never, ever touch a gun. Who needs bullets if you have smarts? But smarts you most definitely need. Puzzle after intriguing puzzle await you here. And you cannot skip the cut scenes in this game--this is not a cut and slash game where the object is to kill anything that moves; here the cut scenes hold clues you will need to save the world.

In fact, saving the world is about the only thing this game has in common with the slash-and-burn games we have all seen so often. But then, after all, it IS a game.

And a truly fantastic one at that.

Great classic adventure with all new style

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: June 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Broken Sword 3 takes the classic adventure gameplay of the first two games, and gives it a whole new slant by switching everything to 3D, and it works wonderfully for the most part. If you've played Grim Fandango, imagine a much-improved version of that engine, and you can picture what BS3 is like. Unlike in Grim Fandango, though, the controls here felt intuitive right from the beginning. I've read several reviews that complained about how cumbersome this game is, but I can't imagine what problems those people encountered. I'll be the first to admit that I'm lousy at handling anything other than the simplest interface when it comes to gaming, and BS3 just felt natural from the very first puzzle.
One thing I really enjoyed about BS3 is that it just felt more "adventurous" than most adventure games. This is due in part to the way you must perform Tomb Raider like maneuvers at certain points (shimmying along ledges, stacking crates, jumping gaps, etc.) Don't worry, though, it's still purely an adventure game, and you won't need to rely on twitch-reflexes to get through these portions of the game.
There are, however, a few sequences in which you will need some good reflexes. For the most part, these sequences play out like scenes from the classic laser-disc game Dragon's Lair, and it's merely a matter of moving in the right direction at the right time. If you screw it up, the game kindly lets you try again, even if you neglected to save recently.
Storywise, this one is pretty solid. There's a fairly complex plot involving the knights templar, and there are enough twists to keep you interested throughout. I liked the fact that George and Nico (the two playable protagonists) start out with seemingly unrelated storylines in different parts of the world, and it isn't until later that you realize how everything is connected. It's a good technique that's rarely (if ever) seen in games.
One word of caution-be sure to update your drivers before playing this. I couldn't get the game to load at all until I updated my sound and graphics drivers. However, once I did so, everything ran smoothly, and I didn't encounter any bugs at all, and that's a rare treat these days!

Brilliant story, beautifully rendered

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: December 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I was a long time fan of the first two Broken Sword games and eagerly anticipated the release of number 3. I was a little worried at first with the move to 3D, concerned that it would turn into just another 'Tomb Raider' style game, where nimbleness of fingers was more important than dexterity of brain. Thankfully, this was not the case.

The puzzles start of absurdly easy, which was a bit of a worry, but thankfully became more challenging as the game went on. The story is intriguing (even if you are not particularly interested in the Knights Templar, it is a great murder-mystery), the graphics are beautiful and the characters are given voice by real actors.

(n.b. I played this on the PS2, but Amazon appears not to have a listing for that platform).

Overall a good game, but mediocre ending

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: March 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game will have been an instant classic, if it weren't for the mediocre ending.

The story plot is engaging, although not particularly innovative. However, just like the Gabriel Knight series, you play as two different characters, who in most of the game are in different places investigating different stuff. There are some very repetitive puzzles, such as moving boxes to the right position so you can climb and advance to the next location. You get to go to many different locations, with many of them being in France, which is a plus for adventure games.

Voice acting is decent. To be honest, I like the voice of George, but not Nico. The keyboard control reminds me of the Prince of Persia Series in the 90's. However, you don't have to worry about jumping all those cliffs and gaps without falling off. One thing good about this game is that once you are near the edge, you can choose the option "Jump", and the character will automatically jump across fine. Nevertheless, there are numerous times when you have to run away from a danger or do a certain action quickly, or else you die. For those who are into more traditional adventure games, this may not be very appealing. You'll be given chances to replay the sequence right before you die, but it can still get annoying if you couldn't get it right for many times.

Finally, the ending is rather mediocre. Very abrupt and anticlimatic. It's almost as if the writers have a longer story in mind, but have to cut the story at the later stage of development b/c of budget or time constraint. Other than that, the story plot was great, and the length of the game sorta reminds me of the length of Gabriel Knight 3, another great game.

George and Nico are back in style!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: September 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The first instalment in the Broken Sword series (1996's Shadow of the Templars, US title Circle Of Blood) introduced us to American-in-Paris tourist George Stobbart, the glamorous Parisian photographer Nicole "Nico" Collard, the lecherous museum curator André Lobineau, and a host of other delightful (and dastardly) secondary characters. With hand-painted cels by former Don Bluth animators, the game had a revolutionary look and feel--it was like being immersed in an interactive animated movie. BS: SotT's witty dialogue, excellent soundtrack, and well-integrated puzzles made it an instant classic. The sequel, Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror was released in 1997.

Seven years later, creator Charles Cecil has resurrected George and Nico once more so that they may save the world in style, this time from the evil plans of Señor Susarro, who plans on harnessing the Earth's energy in order to make himself an all-powerful immortal.

The first part of the game cuts between the respective action in Paris and the Congo. Nico is framed for murder and must prove her innocence, and George must discover Chomondely's secret deep in the jungle. Their stories converge in an action-packed fashion (would we have it any other way?). One of the highlights of the game is the ability to play as both George and Nico.

The major difference in Sleeping Dragon is that the series has gone to a 3D prerendered platform in place of 2D painted cells. Another development is the absence of the mouse (Cecil dug an early grave with adventure gamers by claiming that "point and click" was dead)-the controls are the A,S,D, W and directional keys, which takes some getting used to. The constantly changing camera angles are annoying at best and fatal at worst, as several scenes involve timed escapes. I also encountered several bugs, the most annoying of which involved characters pausing during dialogues, and then speaking two or three lines at the same time.

Sleeping Dragon is much more action-based than its predecessors, so expect to shimmy across narrow outcroppings, inch along precarious ledges by your fingertips, leap across chasms, sneak past guards and have the occasional fight sequence.

There are a variety of puzzle types incorporated into the game, most of moderate difficulty. Puzzles can be solved by examining the inventory, combining objects and going through all dialogue options. One glaring pet peeve: the sheer abundance of Sobokan "move this crate over there" type puzzles, which numbered at least two dozen. The first few times were exciting, but I would see another crate, block, appliance, etc. and groan. Next time, less boxes, guys.

The graphics are gorgeous, the voice acting is top notch (a rarity), the music is worthy of John Williams, the one-liners fast and furious, and the storyline is a novel unto itself. Although not without its flaws, Broken Sword: Sleeping Dragon may be the most complete gaming experience I have ever had-once I started playing, I didn't want to stop.

best game experience since syberia!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: November 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Just givin' a quick review here. Just to let ya'll know for me Syberia really set the standard for me. So when I say that this game is the best experience I've had since Syberia I am saying A LOT!! Some of the best graphics I've seen in awhile. 5.1 sound. I recommend the use of headphones for a more immersive experience. And one of the creepiest villians i've seen in a game. Good Times!

Great Tech Support!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Gave my daughter this game for Xmas, she loves it. She's been glued to the computer. But the day after Xmas our computer crashed while she was playing it. As a result the game started to uninstall itself. We foolishly aborted the uninstall, so after we got the computer running again the game wouldn't play nor could we get it to uninstall completely. We should have just let it totally uninstall, then reinstalled it. So, I wasn't optimistic about getting tech support to help, esp since the product wasnt defective. Tech support is in Canada (yeah!!) and they were WONDERFUL -- walked me through how to uninstall it completely. Stayed on the line with me until it had been removed. Then it was simple to just reinstall it. After having only terrible experiences with tech support from other software company, this company is like a breath of fresh air!! Nice to know exceptional tech support still exists somewhere.

George and Nico are terrific--what a find!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game after reading several so-so reviews--I wanted something different with a little humor. I was not disappointed. Broken Sword 3 was delightful. The voice acting was well above average and the scenes were well drawn with sufficient detail. Some of the puzzles required patience, since you have to keep playing to get the clues you need. However, I really appreciate being confined to an area until I found the hints I needed to finish a scene. I like a good story, and this game manages a light-hearted mix of fantasy/myth with some contemporary characters served with a dollop of humor. The bad guy (or should I say, bad gal) was sufficiently interesting that the cut scenes complemented the game play and provided pleasant interludes. Years ago, I loved Grim Fandango and chuckled through Monkey Island I. (For comparison, I quickly resold Monkey Island 3, barely started). For someone who usually enjoys 1st person 3-D adventures, this one has reopened the possibilities of 2-D adventures. I am now buying Broken Sword 1 & 2 in hopes that they are as good as their sequel. Bottom line: I ended Broken Sword 3 happy as a clam to have found it but sad the game was over.

absolutly brilliant

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: January 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game was top of my christmas list as i liked the first two games so much due to the storyline. It's just briliant and i don't think any trilliogy will be able to compeat with this one it is just outstanding. The graphics are good storyline is good charecters are good, just like the first two. If you have played the first two im sure you will know that Broken sword the sleeping dragon is the next game you will buy and play and love. I can't describe how good this game truely is. It took my breath away im am sure it will take yours to.SO BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GREAT GAME!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: August 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Okay I'll admit I was weary of buying this game as I'd heard it wasn't really an adventure but more of a hybrid. I found this to be compeletly false. This is strictly a third person view, adventure game. While not the normal point and click (you have to use the arrow keys like in Grimg Fandango and SOMETIMES a choice of up to four keys). I disagree with the previous reiveiw that this was hard to do without a joystick. I don't own a joystick as the only games I play are adventure games. While I will admit the game controls took me about five minutes to figure out, it didn't take away any enjoyment of the game, in fact it feel as though I'd just sloved the first puzzle! Honestly from me I felt the use of these buttons incorperated more enjoyment, with this game as sometimes (when George or Nico would have to climb a wall by pressing w or do they jump by pressing s)was a puzzle all in itself. There by making the game feel more real and the puzzles fully a part of the game. Also while I only play adventure games I am mediocore at them at best often falling to the use of walkthroughs. I found I only had to look at a walkthrough for this on the first stealth sequence as I'd never had to do one before. Yes there are some places that require stealth however the timing is easy to do, and for a person who hasn't played a game other than an adventure since pac man, I still didn't have too much trouble with it I can honestly say it didn't distract from the game. My only complaint was I felt the story could have used a bit more of an ending but with broken sword 4 currently in the works I don't mind too much :). I really loved this game and I rarley say that, infact the last time I liked a game enough to review it was.... the longest journey. I love the direction and chance this company took with trying out something different from the same old point and click (I never thought I'd type that before!) and hope to see more games like it in the future. Trust me if you liked the Gaberial Knight series or if you just want a good adventure check this game out.

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